Aspects and examples described herein provide a radio-frequency switching circuit, switching device, and related methods. In one example, a radio-frequency switching device includes an input path configured to receive a radio-frequency signal, a plurality of output paths each configured to provide the radio-frequency signal, and a plurality of radio-frequency sub-networks each coupled to the input path and configured to direct the radio-frequency signal, each of the plurality of sub-networks including at least a first radio-frequency circuit having a first series of directly biased transistors, a second radio-frequency circuit having a second series of directly biased transistors, and a direct current blocking network interposed between the first radio-frequency circuit and the second radio-frequency circuit, each output path of the plurality corresponding to at least one of the plurality of radio-frequency sub-networks.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A radio-frequency circuit comprising: a series of transistors including at least a first transistor and a second transistor and each having at least a source, a gate, and a drain; an input path coupled to the source of the first transistor and an output path coupled to the drain of the second transistor; and a plurality of direct current bias networks including a first direct current bias network coupled to the gate of the first transistor, a second direct current bias network coupled to the gate of the second transistor, and a third direct current bias network coupled to the drain of the first transistor and the source of the second transistor, each of the plurality of direct current bias networks being configured to directly bias the series of transistors to direct a radio-frequency signal through the series of transistors.
2. The radio-frequency circuit of claim 1 further comprising a first voltage distribution network coupled to the source of the first transistor and the third direct current bias network.
3. The radio-frequency circuit of claim 2 further comprising a second voltage distribution network coupled to the drain of the second transistor and the third direct current bias network.
4. The radio-frequency circuit of claim 3 wherein the first transistor is a first field effect transistor and the second transistor is a second field effect transistor.
5. The radio-frequency circuit of claim 4 further comprising a gate bias source coupled to the first direct current bias network and the second direct current bias network.
6. The radio-frequency circuit of claim 5 further comprising a source/drain bias source coupled to the third direct current bias network.
7. The radio-frequency circuit of claim 1 further comprising an input path configured to receive the radio-frequency signal from a transmission line of a radio-frequency power amplifier.
8. The radio-frequency circuit of claim 7 further comprising a first direct current blocking network coupled to an output path of the radio-frequency circuit.
9. The radio-frequency circuit of claim 8 further comprising a second direct current blocking network coupled to the input path of the radio-frequency circuit.
10. The radio-frequency circuit of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of direct current bias networks is a ¼ wavelength transformer.
11. A radio-frequency switching device comprising: an input path configured to receive a radio-frequency signal; a plurality of radio-frequency sub-networks each coupled to the input path and configured to direct the radio-frequency signal, each of the plurality of sub-networks including at least a first radio-frequency circuit having a first series of directly biased transistors, a second radio-frequency circuit having a second series of directly biased transistors, and a direct current blocking network interposed between the first radio-frequency circuit and the second radio-frequency circuit; and a plurality of output paths each configured to provide the radio-frequency signal, each output path of the plurality of output paths corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of radio-frequency sub-networks.
12. The radio-frequency switching device of claim 11 further comprising a plurality of transmission lines, at least one of the plurality of transmission lines being interposed between the input path and a corresponding one of the plurality of radio-frequency sub-networks.
13. The radio-frequency switching device of claim 12 wherein each of the plurality of transmission lines is a ¼ wavelength transformer.
14. The radio-frequency switching device of claim 13 wherein the first radio-frequency circuit further includes a first plurality of direct current bias networks configured to directly bias the first series of transistors, and the second radio-frequency circuit further includes a second plurality of direct current bias networks configured to directly bias the second series of transistors.
15. The radio-frequency switching device of claim 14 wherein the first radio-frequency circuit further includes a first voltage distribution network coupled to at least one of the first plurality of direct current bias networks, and the second radio-frequency circuit further includes a second voltage distribution network coupled to at least one of the second plurality of direct current bias networks.
16. The radio-frequency switching device of claim 11 wherein the first series of transistors includes a first transistor and a second transistor, and the second series of transistors includes a third transistor and a fourth transistor.
17. The radio-frequency switching device of claim 16 wherein each of the first transistor, the second transistor, the third transistor, and the fourth transistor is a field effect transistor.
18. A method for providing a radio-frequency signal, the method comprising: receiving a radio-frequency signal at an input path; receiving a first direct current bias from a first direct current bias network at a gate of a first transistor; receiving a second direct current bias from a second direct current bias network at a gate of a second transistor; receiving a third direct current bias from a third direct current bias network at a drain of the first transistor and a source of the second transistor; directing the radio-frequency signal from the input path through the first transistor and the second transistor; and providing the radio-frequency signal at an output path.
19. The method of claim 18 further comprising distributing the third direct current bias to a source of the first transistor with a first voltage distribution network coupled to the third direct current bias network.
20. The method of claim 19 further comprising distributing the third direct current bias to a drain of the second transistor with a second voltage distribution network coupled to the third direct current bias network.
21. The method of claim 20 further comprising blocking at least one of the first direct current bias and the second direct current bias with a direct current blocking network coupled to the output path.
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December 7, 2017
August 27, 2019
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